News, reviews, information and apps for Symbian.

Rafe Blandford

Rafe is the man behind all the ‘All About’ sites. He’s responsible for business development and editorial direction. Rafe has a deep understanding of the mobile and smartphone industry and is widely recognised as one of the leading experts on Nokia’s smart device activities and strategy.

When writing Rafe specialises in covering device, industry and developer themes, but will also turn his hand to any topic that he thinks might interest the ‘All About’ audience.

Recent Content by Rafe

Guest writer David Addington brings us a detailed review of one of the landmark texts in the smartphone industry and a superbly detailed history of Symbian itself. Read the review and then grab the (e)book!

Microsoft today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Nokia Devices and Services division, following approval by shareholders and governmental regulators and almost eight months on from the initial announcement. Microsoft is now a major mobile hardware manufacturer and will now begin the complex process of integration. Nokia continues to exist, primarily as a network infrastructure (NSN) business, coupled with the strategically important maps (HERE) and research and intellectual property (Advanced Technologies) businesses.

In All About Symbian Insight 247, hosted by Steve and Rafe, we start by talking about the return of Nokia's Public Transport app, updates to the cuteTube and F1uptodate apps, an alternative curated Symbian apps and games directory, and Skype on Symbian officially being "removed". However, the highlight of the podcast is a discussion around AppList, an alternative app store for Symbian devices, which became available as an open beta a few days ago.

Today, at MWC, Nokia announced the Nokia X range of affordable smartphones, running on a customised version of AOSP (Android Open Source Project) software. The devices, the Nokia X, X+, and XL, are aimed primarily at "growth economies" and are compatible with generic Android apps, but also run a range of Nokia and Microsoft apps and services.

In All About Symbian Insight 246, hosted by Steve and Rafe, we start by reviewing the state of Symbian with regard to signing, which leads to news of the forthcoming curated on-device app store AppList. Other topics covered in the podcast include Delight custom firmware releases for the Nokia E7 and X7, and a discussion around the three year anniversary of the February 11th announcement.

In All About Symbian Insight 245, hosted by Steve and Rafe, we start by talking about the state of Symbian app updates in the context of the freezing of Symbian content in the Nokia Store. Other topics covered in the podcast include a Nokia 808 versus Lumia 1020 (with Lumia Black) comparison, weather widgets on the Symbian homescreen, Delight custom firmware, Swype, and more.

Nokia's DC-19 Universal Portable USB Charger provides an easy way of topping up your phone's battery when out and about. That's something that seems to be an increasingly common requirement, a result of integrated batteries having become the norm, and the reality that most smartphones need to be charged at least once a day. There are a large number of portable battery charging products on the market, so is there anything that makes Nokia's latest entry in this category stand out from the crowd?

In All About Symbian Insight 244, hosted by Steve and Rafe, we start by apologising for the longer than expected gap between podcasts, before moving on to chat about the status of the Symbian app ecosystem and Symbian devices in general. We also discuss the practicalities of using a Symbian device as a backup smartphone (watch out for SIM card sizes) and Steve offers some details on the Delight custom firmwares.

Nokia has released its Q3 2013 results, reporting an operating profit of €118 million (up from a loss of €564 million in Q3 2012), with net sales of €5.6662 billion (down 22% year-on-year). Nokia's Devices and Services division's operating loss was €86 million. The margin in Devices and Services was -3% (up from from -18.9% in Q3 2012). Total smartphone device sales were 8.8 million (all Lumia), up from 7.4 million in Q2, while mobile phone volumes were 55.8 million, up from 53.7 million in Q2, but down 27% year-on-year.

On October 22nd, in Abu Dhabi, Nokia is holding Nokia World, where it is expected to announce a number of new devices and accessories in a variety of form factors. The event kicks off at 08:00 BST (07:00 GMT). We'll be updating this story with our on-the-scene live coverage at the event takes place. You can also watch a live stream of the press conference event via Nokia Conversations.